MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH PUNE.

” Why Pune is my favourite city? “

with in a second of landing here, I knew I belonged. I could easily live here I love it so much.

Have you ever been to a place and fallen in love with it immediately? It never happens to me. But from the first moment, I felt something when I arrived in this vibrant, friendly, and cosmopolitan city, I was dazzled by its energy. Being a small-town girl like me, Pune felt like a dream city. BTW I am from a beautiful city named “Gwalior” it’s in Madhya Pradesh. I have been to places -Delhi, Udaipur to name a few- that were slow and steady affairs. But not Pune, I am in love with this city. What truly sets Pune apart is its scenery and nearby places- Lonavla, Lavasa, and many more.

” I discovered myself in the city “

“Maana ghar ki neend hi acchi lagti hai,

Par is shehar ki raaton mai bhi sukoon tha.”

I wasn’t searching for something but searching for myself. And I must say one friend of mine helped me a lot to discover myself. I have read somewhere that people make the city beautiful and memorable, and yes that is true. There is this friend of mine who introduced me to lots of things and most importantly myself and the city. After graduation, I had my first beer (I still remember the taste of that first beer and the wall of a friend’s college), my first sneak out from the hostel, and clubbing culture (OMG! that was time). I have got good friends and they made me fall in love with bikes and the crazy bike rides. Every time I talk about Pune, it makes me feel alive. There are so many cities I like for different reasons- Some for art, some for history, some for food, mostly for the people. But, to be the ones that stand out most for the ones where I feel most at “Home”. It feels like I lived a decade in those 3 years in Pune, there are places I visit and connected to, and I feel at one with the culture, and tempo of the city.

I think to myself ” yeah, I could live here. ” Not just visit but live.

and, when I think that. then I know I’ve found a special place.

It really does live up to all the hype, not so fast life but really crazy. Friendly people, good places around, has tons of cozy cafes where you can go alone too and no one is really to give you an awkward glance, and the nightlife is wow. Pune, it turns out, is an easy city to live in, It’s not cheaper to live in but that’s the price for all the amazing things- there’s a lot to do, plenty of events, of course, the festivals (especially “Ganpati Utsav” ), wonderful food, great bars, and even more wonderful people. Living in Pune showed me that you can be yourself.

In some ways, Pune reminds me of Crazy times with my people, scary bike rides in between western ghats, beer, monsoon, beautiful friendships, and Adhura Pyar.

I miss myself the person I was at that time in that city because I will never be that way ever again. There is a part of me that’s going to be in love with this city for the rest of my life.

” My love affair with this city will never die.”